The Farr Side: Fun may have inside track at Grammys

Forget the Ravens and 49ers, the real match-ups happen Sunday at the 55th Grammy Awards on CBS.

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Sturgis Journal - Sturgis, MI

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Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Posted Feb. 7, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Forget the Ravens and 49ers, the real match-ups happen Sunday at the 55th Grammy Awards on CBS.

The Black Keys, Fun, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean and Jack White battle for coveted Album Of The Year.

For me, this race comes down to Fun’s “Some Nights” and Mumford & Sons’ “Babel.” Both albums defined the year and are worthy of the accolade, but success and notoriety doesn’t always guarantee a win in this category. Case in point: Arcade Fire’s win two years ago.

Grammy voters don’t include you and me. They are made up of industry executives and other artists. It’s almost a game, if you think about it. When albums of a similar nature are pitted against each another like “Some Nights” and “Babel,” the idea that votes will be split becomes more apparent. In cases like this, it’s quite possible to see an album like The Black Keys’ “El Camino” come out of nowhere to win. But this year is different. Grammy voters might take a different approach and see the barriers broken by Frank Ocean and vote “Channel Orange.”

The same thing might occur in the Best New Artist category, where Frank Ocean is a front-runner for a number of reasons. Fun is also nominated, but so are The Lumineers. Again, Fun and The Lumineers might cancel each other out leaving Ocean, Alabama Shakes and Hunter Hayes to do battle. My fingers are crossed for Fun.

Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year have long confused people.

Song Of The Year goes to the songwriter, not the artist (unless an artist is also the songwriter, of course). Nominees this year are a mixed bag with “The A-Team” (Ed Sheeran), “Adorn” (Miguel), “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepson), “Stronger” (Kelly Clarkson), and “We Are Young” (Fun) all in the running.

In a perfect world, “The A-Team” should win, but it’s not likely to happen for Sheeran this time. Clarkson and Fun have the best chances. I’d like to see Clarkson take this one, because she co-wrote it and sang the pants off of it. However, I feel this one is Fun’s to lose.

Record Of The Year is awarded to the artist and the producer. It’s the complete package, if you will: recording, performing and producing to the finished product.

Again, this is Fun’s to lose, but any of the nominees could win. “Lonely Boy” (The Black Keys), “Stronger” (Clarkson), “We Are Young” (Fun), “Somebody That I Used To Know” (Gotye), “Thinkin’ Bout You (Frank Ocean) and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (Taylor Swift) make this category the top one of the night for most devoted Grammy fans, like me.

Page 2 of 2 - “Somebody That I Used To Know” could pull off an upset in this category. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio, something that should have also netted a Best New Artist nomination, but didn’t.

Who do you think will win Sunday night?

David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com.